1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a complex operation input device that can be suitably used with a digital camera or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
To describe the configuration of a complex operation input device according to the prior art with reference to FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, a fixed member 52 is fitted above a housing 51, which is a molded synthetic resin item.
An insulating substrate 53 is fitted to the housing 51 so as to cover a receptacle 51a provided in the housing 51, and over this insulating substrate 53 is mounted a first flexible insulating substrate 54 having a plurality of fixed contacts (not shown).
A movable contact 55 consisting of a leaf spring, in a state of opposing fixed contacts provided on the first flexible insulating substrate 54, is mounted on the first flexible insulating substrate 54. As the upper part of the movable contact 55 is pressed and reversed, the movable contact 55 comes into contact with one of the fixed contacts. These fixed contacts and movable contact 55 constitute a first push switch part S3.
A second flexible insulating substrate 56 provided with a fixed contact (not shown) is arranged so as to cover the upper part of the movable contact 55, and the fixed contact provided on this second flexible insulating substrate 56 is connected by a communicating means (not shown) to the fixed contacts provided on the first flexible insulating substrate 54.
A holding member 57, which is a molded synthetic resin item, has a plate 57a and a cylindrical shaft 57b provided over this plate 57a, and this holding member 57, in a state in which its plate 57a is accommodated in the receptacle 51a, is rotatably held by pressing the shaft 57b through the fixed member 52.
A rubber contact 58 provided with a contact point is fitted within the shaft 57b so as to oppose the fixed contact provided on the second flexible insulating substrate 56.
When the upper part of the rubber contact 58 is suppressed, the rubber contact 58 is bent to come into contact with the fixed contact provided on the second flexible insulating substrate 56. These fixed contact and rubber contact 58 constitute a second push switch part S4.
As a result, the first and second push switch parts S3 and S4 constitute a two-stage suppressive switching section P2, and the first and second push switch parts S3 and S4 constituting this two-stage suppressive switching section P2 are arranged in a layered state in the direction of the rotation axis G2 of the holding member 57.
In the two-stage suppressive switching section P2, first the rubber contact 58 is pressed to operate the second push switch part S4, and its continued pressing causes the movable contact 55 to be suppressed to operate the first push switch part S3.
A slider 59 consisting of a metal plate is fitted to the plate 57a in a position outer than the two-stage switching section P2 in the radial direction, and this slider 59 comes into sliding contact with the fixed contact provided on the first flexible insulating substrate 54. These fixed contact and slider 59 constitute a rotary electrical part D2.
This rotary electrical part D2 is arranged in a radial direction orthogonal to the rotation axis G2 of the two-stage suppressive switching section P2.
A lever 60, which is a molded synthetic resin item, has a holder 60a and an arm 60b extending in one direction from this holder 60a. This lever 60, in a state of being linked so as to rotate the holding member 57, is arranged over the fixed member 52.
A key top 61 arranged to be able to suppress the rubber contact 58, in a state in which it is prevented from coming off by the holder 60a of the lever 60, is fitted to be shiftable in the direction of the rotation axis G2.
A button 63, which is a molded synthetic resin item elastically pressed by a coil spring 62, is fitted to be vertically movable in a state in which it is prevented from coming off by the arm 60b of the lever 60. This button 63 is provided with a projection 63a, which can be engaged with and disengaged from the fixed member 52. When the button 63 is suppressed against the coil spring 62, the projection 63a can come off a hole 52a of the fixed member 52 to enable the lever 60 to rotate.
A spring 64 fixed to the rotatable holding member 57 can be engaged with and disengaged from the insulating substrate 53 to form a detent mechanism, so that, when the holding member 57 rotates, the spring 64 engages with or disengages from the insulating substrate 53 to give a sense of click to the rotary action of the holding member 57 and the lever 60.
To describe the operation of the conventional complex operation input device having such a configuration, first, when the key top 61 is suppressed in the direction of the rotation axis G2, the rubber contact 58 is pressed, and the second push switch part S4 is manipulated. When the key top 61 is further suppressed, the rubber contact 58 suppresses the movable contact 55 via the second flexible insulating substrate 56, and the first push switch part S3 is manipulated.
Then, when released from suppression by the key top 61, the movable contact 55 and the rubber contact 58 automatically return to their respective original states by their own elasticity, and the key top 61 returns to its own original state with the return of the rubber contact 58.
Next, when the button 63 is suppressed against the coil spring 62, the projection 63a is disengaged from the fixed member 52 to enable the lever 60 to turn, and if in this state the lever 60 is turned with the arm 60b, the holding member 57 will rotate to turn the slider 59, which comes into sliding contact with the fixed contact on the first flexible insulating substrate 54 to cause the rotary electrical part D2 to be operated.
Then, the spring 64 engages with or disengages from the insulating substrate 53 to cause the lever 60 to turn with a sense of click.
Or if the lever 60 is released from rotation, the lever 60 and the holding member 57 will be stopped by the detent mechanism where they have turned by a prescribed angle and, if in this position the button 63 is released from suppression, the button 63 will be pushed back by the coil spring 62 to enter into a state in which the fixed member 52 is engaged with the hole 52a. 
Such manipulations cause the complex operation input device to be operated.
The complex operation input device according to the prior art, in which the two-stage suppressive switching section P2 and the rotary electrical part D2 are arranged in the radial direction orthogonal to the direction of the rotation axis G2, has a large dimension in the lateral direction, and accordingly involves a problem of allowing no size reduction in the radial direction.
Especially, there is a problem that the device is unsuitable for portable items, such as a digital camera.
There is another problem that, on account of the use of the mutually separate first and second flexible insulating substrates 54 and 56, not only is an extra task of electrically connecting them needed but also their incorporation is troublesome, resulting in poor productivity.
Still another problem is that, as the second flexible insulating substrate 56 provided with the fixed contact for the second push switch part S4 is mounted over the movable contact 55 of the first push switch part S3 and, moreover, the movable contact 55 is deformed in a state in which the rubber contact 58 is in contact with the fixed contact, the contact of the second push switch part S4 is destabilized.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a complex operation input device which permits a size reduction in the lateral direction, provides high productivity and stabilizes the contact of the double-action push switch unit.
A first means to solve the problems noted above has a configuration provided with an operating member, a rotary electrical part manipulated with the operating member and a double-action push switch unit manipulated with the operating member, wherein the rotary electrical part and the double-action push switch unit are arranged in a layered state in a direction of a rotation axis of the rotary electrical part.
A second means to solve the problems noted above has a configuration wherein the operating member comprises a rotatable knob and a key top shiftable in the direction of the rotation axis, the rotary electrical part is operated by rotation of the knob and the double-action push switch unit is operated,by shifting of the key top.
A third means to solve the problems noted above has a configuration wherein the knob is annularly shaped and arranged so as to surround an outer circumference of the key top.
A fourth means to solve the problems noted above has a configuration wherein the double-action push switch unit comprises two, first and second, push switch parts differing from each other in operating force, a carrier member is provided to support the double-action push switch unit, the carrier member has a plate, and over the plate the first and second push switch parts are arranged in a layered state in the direction of the rotation axis.
A fifth means to solve the problems noted above has a configuration wherein the first and second push switch parts click by operating forces differing from each other.
A sixth means to solve the problems noted above has a configuration further provided with a driver arranged between the key top and the carrier member and capable of shifting in the direction of the rotation axis, wherein the first and second push switch parts are arranged above and underneath the driver, one above and the other underneath, with this driver in between.
A seventh means to solve the problems noted above has a configuration wherein one of the first and second push switch parts is supported over the plate, the other of the first and second push switch parts is supported over the driver, the one suppressive switching unit supported by the plate is operated by the driver, and the other suppressive switching unit supported by the driver is operated by the key top.
An eighth means to solve the problems noted above has a configuration wherein the carrier member is provided with a guide for guiding the shifting of the driver in the direction of the rotation axis.
A ninth means to solve the problems noted above has a configuration wherein the first and the suppressive switching units comprise one flexible insulating substrate provided with fixed contacts for the first and second push switch parts and movable contacts for the first and second push switch parts, to be engaged with and disengaged from the fixed contacts, the bending of the flexible insulating substrate causes it to be mounted over the plate or the driver, one of the first and second push switch parts is arranged between the key top and the driver, and the other is arranged between the driver and the plate.
A tenth means to solve the problems noted above has a configuration wherein the double-action push switch unit and the rotary electrical part are arranged on different sides of the plate of the carrier member, and the double-action push switch unit is positioned toward the key top.
An eleventh means to solve the problems noted above has a configuration wherein the rotary electrical part is provided with a rotor rotating together with the knob, a slider provided on this rotor, and a conducting pattern provided on a flexible insulating substrate, the slider coming into sliding contact with the conducting pattern, and fixed contacts for the first and second push switch parts are formed over the flexible insulating substrate.
A twelfth means to solve the problems noted above has a configuration further provided with a supporting member for supporting the carrier member, wherein the flexible insulating substrate mounted over the supporting member is held between the supporting member and the carrier member.
A thirteenth means to solve the problems noted above has a configuration wherein the rotor is arranged between the plate of the carrier member and the supporting member, side walls provided on the rotor are in contact with or close to part of the flexible insulating substrate positioned on an outer circumference of the conducting pattern to prevent the flexible insulating substrate from floating off.
A fourteenth means to solve the problems noted above has a configuration wherein the plate of the carrier member has a shaft provided in its central part and a plurality of projections protruding from the tip of the shaft in the direction of the rotation axis, the shaft is pressed through a hole bored in the rotor to rotatably support the rotor and the knob, and the projections are pressed through holes bored in the flexible insulating substrate and the supporting member to fit the carrier member to the supporting member.
A fifteenth means to solve the problems noted above has a configuration wherein the flexible insulating substrate is held between the tip of the shaft and the supporting member.
A sixteenth means to solve the problems noted above has a configuration wherein a forcing member intervenes between the carrier member and the rotor and/or the knob and, when the rotor has rotated via the knob, the rotor is returned to its initial position by the forcing member.
A seventeenth means to solve the problems noted above has a configuration wherein a stopper to limit a range of rotation of the rotor is provided between the carrier member and the rotor and/or the knob.
An eighteenth means to solve the problems noted above has a configuration wherein the rotary electrical part has a detent mechanism and, when the knob is rotated, the knob turns with articulation.
A nineteenth means to solve the problems noted above has a configuration wherein the detent mechanism is arranged within the rotor.